We got into San Carlos well ahead of schedule at 6:30 a.m. - just after I got off watch. The currents - and the tide probably as well, although I did not check that - were obviously in our favor much of the night as we made great time. I will mention that yesterday's trip was like crossing a desert in that we did not see any sign of any life at all, with two notable exceptions. Hour after hour, after hour we sailed along with no signs of any boats. The two exceptions were a fishing boat that, as we approached , was in the process of pulling up a large container of some sort. We speculated (so take it with a grain of salt) that it was either getting mineral samples off the ocean floor, or that it was fishing for bottom critters; I don't know if either theory is plausible. However, of more interest was that there was a helicopter - with pontoons - circling above. As we approached, it left the "fishing" boat to come circle us a time or two before leaving. A few hours later a helicopter came back and circled us several times before it too left.

Anyway, after so many extended hours of seeing no boats, no lights, etc. it was a bit of a shock for me in the last couple of hours of my shift (about 4:30 a.m. or so) to see MANY lights. I knew by the clock and our charts that I was seeing the lights of Guaymas and, ultimately, San Carlos, but it still freaks you out a bit after hours of darkness to all of a sudden see so many lights off in the distance. Of course, when you first see them you don't know if they are big lights far away, or small lights very close. I kept returning to the radar to reassure myself that there was nothing close by, but it is still sort of nerve racking as you don't want to be involved in a collision - especially this close to the end!

Shortly after Jackie came to relieve me (6:00 a.m.) we got the rest of the crew up as it was time to start getting shore ready. Because we would not be anchoring, we had to get dock lines out to secure the boat once we pulled into the slip, we had to get ready to, and then actually lower, the main, and then we had to find our way into the tiny harbor entrance. By the way, on last year's trip I crewed for Dennis and Lynn on Pura Vida, who in the last few weeks temporarily moved their boat down to Puerto Vallarta. Before doing so, they advertised their San Carlos boat slip for sublease, and that is the slip that Jackie and Stan got, so for two years in a row, I traveled 1200 (???) miles and ended up in not only the same marina, but the same slip!

But, when we got to the marina, there was already a boat in the slip; it was just a little boat, but it was a boat nonetheless. It was too early for the office to be open (to early and it was a holiday - Revolution Day or something) so we found an empty slip and Stan and I went up and waited about an hour for the mariana office to open. Of course, we couldn't turn the boat motor off because we didn't know if it would start again, so Jackie and Alison stayed on the boat.

The lady at the office talked to Dennis and Lynn's daughter and confirmed that Stan and Jackie had the slip, but she was short staffed and said she didn't have anyone to send out to see if the boat in the slip had moved. She added that if the boat was still there, we were just out of luck until the next day (the main guy, Francisco, would be on Tuesday). She did offer, however, that if we did not feel like waiting for her staff to check on the slip, that I could walk completely around the marina to see if the boat had left. I did only to find that the little boat was still there - so I moved it! There was an empty slip next door, so I untied the little boat and moved the sucker! Nothing ever came of it, so I guess we got away with it.

I walked Alison up to the cab pickup area (she will fly out today) and we had breakfast. I then checked the hotel and they had an empty room for a good price, so I got a room, went back to the boat and packed, and left the boat. I guess I'm no longer official crew.

Jackie, Stan, and I met for dinner and then I called it a night. I will go to the boat tomorrow to see if they want help get it ready for them to leave. As of tonight, they don't seem real excited about working on the boat as I think they want to relax for a day or two.

Paul.